Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

Honest. Quirky. Real. Practical tips, candid reviews, and stereotype-smashing humor for homeschooling families.

National Park Adventures with Kids: 6 Ways to Make the Most of Them

By

U.S. National Parks feature stunning educational landscapes for kids to explore. Try these tips to make the most of your family’s national park adventures.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Easily some of the most amazing resources our beautiful country has to offer are its national parks. From beaches to mountains, U.S. national parks feature dozens of stunning and diverse landscapes to explore.

Unfortunately, far too many people are entirely unaware of the magic and beauty hiding in these natural wonderlands. So, they never even think to go check out our national parks. Even those people who do have some idea what these spaces have to offer sometimes don’t visit out as often as they should.

This failure to make the most of America’s national parks is a disservice to kids (and adults!) who could be learning a multitude of amazing lessons from visiting these places.

6 Ways to Make the Most of National Park Adventures with Kids

From geology to history, national parks present a wide assortment of lesson topics. This variety makes them ideal places for homeschoolers of all ages to learn, explore, and discover.

For this reason, I highly recommend planning at least a few trips to national parks this summer and into the coming school year. As a regular park visitor, I’d like to offer my tips for ensuring your adventures go over without a hitch. [Read more…]

How To Teach History Without a Textbook: 12 Ideas To Get You Started!

By

If you want to have a little more fun with your history lessons, try these 12 engaging ideas to teach history without a textbook.

Written by Adrienne Bolton of The Mommy Mess.

Without a doubt, the homeschooling question I hear most often – even more than the socialization one – is, “What curriculum do you use?”

Why? I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like an especially exciting topic. Maybe it’s a conversation starter like the PetSmart cashier I overheard recently. He was asking every customer, “What kind of {fill in the blank with the appropriate species based on the products the customer was purchasing} do you have?”

And, of course, it worked because people love to talk about their babies.

How To Teach History Without a Textbook

Maybe it’s just the first thing people think of to ask when they’re wondering what in the heck you’ve gotten yourself into.

How do you do this thing called homeschooling?

For nearly 12 years, my answer has always been the same, “We use a hodgepodge of stuff depending on the subject.”

How to Teach History Without a Textbook

Over the years, we’ve used a variety of resources to cover each subject, but history is by far my favorite when it comes to tossing the textbook! [Read more…]

How to Make Your Kids Want to Write (or at Least Grumble a Little Less)

By

If motivating your children to write seems like an impossible dream, try these tips to tone down the writing-related grumbling in your homeschool.

“My kid hates to write!” How many times have you said those words or heard another homeschooling parent say them? Reluctant writers are the entire reason we started sharing monthly printable writing prompts.

But, even with writing prompts, how do you get a reluctant writer to like writing…or, at least, not grumble about it quite so much?

motivating your children to write

Try these tips to make writing more agreeable to the pencil-twirlers and corner-doodlers in your house. [Read more…]

8 Creative, Simple Ways to Homeschool with LEGO

By

Are you homeschooling LEGO fans? Get them excited about a LEGO homeschool with these creative ways to use LEGO bricks in your homeschool lessons.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

LEGO bricks are seriously awesome toys. They encourage creative thinking and problem solving, and they keep my 7-year-old entertained for hours on end. Sure, they hurt like crazy when you step on them, but late-night LEGO landmines aside, they’re well worth keeping around.

Do your kids love LEGO too? If so, you’ll love these ideas for incorporating these nifty little toys into your homeschool. After all, the kids are more willing to sit still for a bit when lessons involve one of their favorite playthings. Capitalize on that fact!

8 Creative, Simple Ways to Homeschool with LEGO

Try these eight creative, simple ways to homeschool with LEGO and make school a little more colorful and engaging for everyone. [Read more…]

6 Excellent Reasons Every Kid Should Run a Business

By

Running a business teaches kids valuable lessons and life skills. Check out Chelsea’s reasons why every kid should run a business.

Written by Chelsea Gonzales of Wonder Wherever We Wander.

As a kid, I was always looking for new ways to make money. When I was very young, I sold rocks door to door. No, there wasn’t anything special about the rocks, but I suppose I was pretty darn cute because I sold more than a few.

Later on, I decided to switch products and developed a thriving neighborhood cookie business, which I ran with my brother and a good friend. Of course, my desire for money didn’t go away when I was a teen. That meant I was out babysitting, teaching dance lessons, and working at our local community theater whenever possible.

6 Excellent Reasons Every Kid Should Run a Business

Of all the great projects I did as a homeschooler, I believe these little businesses were some of the most educational. Oddly enough, they weren’t even an “official” part of my schooling.

My entrepreneurial exploits provided me with countless life lessons that I use even as an adult. On top of that, they gave me the confidence to start my own businesses as an adult. To this day, I’ve only ever had one “real” job working for someone else. Setting my own hours and picking and choosing what I spend time on is the norm for me.

My childhood experiences with running businesses have led me to believe that all kids should be encouraged to start a business. Here’s what they might learn. [Read more…]